Mexico's PAN files ICC complaint against ex-President López Obrador

The opposition party Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) formally submitted a complaint to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, accusing former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador of crimes against humanity. The filing alleges that the security strategy known as “abrazos, no balazos” enabled a systematic partnership between the state and organized crime, resulting in more than 200,000 homicides, over 150,000 disappearances, forced recruitment of youths and the displacement of entire communities. PAN cites the expansion of cartels such as Sinaloa, Jalisco Nueva Generación, Noreste, Nueva Familia Michoacana and Cárteles Unidos and points to alleged links between senior Morena officials in Sinaloa, Sonora and Tamaulipas – specifically governors Rubén Rocha Moya, Alfonso Durazo and Américo Villarreal – as evidence of a political‑criminal pact.

President Claudia Sheinbaum responded, calling the PAN’s move “hypocritical” and defending Mexico’s sovereignty, while reiterating that the government will not tolerate external interference. The complaint seeks an independent international investigation, arguing that Mexican institutions lack the capacity to conduct impartial inquiries.